One habit that I’ve picked up is asking questions for answers that you already know. While that sounds a bit silly, it’s really great practice for the variety of answers a question can have. At the same time, it’s good way to lead into other questions.

For example, even if I know how to get to the library/bathroom/7-11/etc. I still like to ask every so often just to practice. Since I already know where they are, I can learn how they would describe getting there in Chinese, and what variations they can use.